Razor blade holder and accessory therefor



y 1965 H. M LIGHTBURN 3, 3

RAZOR BLADE HOLDER AND ACCESSORY THEREFOR Filed March 14, 1965 /2 .60 5 INVENTOR.

4 yzeaser M z/ax/rez/m/ United States Patent 3,195,231 RAZOR BLADE HQLDER AQEESSURY THEREFOR Herbert M. Lightbnrn, 6042 N. Hart, Temple City, Calif.

Filed Mar. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 265,193

6 (Ilaims. (Cl. 30--2) This invention relates to razor blade holders and more particularly to a blade holder and accessory therefor adapted fora variety of widely differing uses by merchants and other persons and featuring a readily detachable accessory for use in guiding the cutting blade while opening paper shipping cartons in a manner to provide a pair of display trays for the carton contents.

A razor blade holder of the type shown in my United States Patent 2,464,408, granted March 15, 1949, has many uses including in particular that of opening conventional paper shipping containers as, for example, those formed of laminated paper or double-faced corrugated paper. This type of razorblade holder is specially designed for use with disposable single-edge razor blades of the type having a reinforcing back edge strengthening and supporting the cutting blade proper. Desirably only a small portion of one end corner of the blade is exposed beyond the holder sheath when the blade is in its extended operating position, such exposure being fully adequate to cut through'the wall of the carton. When not in use the blade is retracted within the sheath as a protective measure to avoid risk of damage to the blade or injury to the user.

The above-referred to razor blade holder as well as others heretofore proposed are subject to the disadvantage that they lack means for guiding the path of travel of the blade, as is desirable to expedite opening of cartons in such manner as to provide a neat appearing and eifective display tray from the carton and preferably separate trays from the top as well as from the bottom portion of the carton. For example, it is customary to pack paper cartons with two layers of cans or other packaged goods. Heretofore, the cartons have been quickly opened by slitting the side walls to provide access to the contents following which'the contents are removed and placed on shelves or arranged in tiers by individually handling and carefully stacking each item in eschelon or other suitable interlocking fashion. This is extremely time-consuming and costly and must be done with considerable skill to avoid risk of collapse of the stacked goods. Even so, purchasers or other persons endeavoring to remove articles from the stack are likely to disarrange other of the stacked items sufficiently to cause partial or complete collapse of the stack.

It has been found that accidents as well as the cost and time involved in individually stacking the items can be avoided if the items of merchandise are left supported in shallow trays formed directly from the shipping carton. These trays and their contents are quicking and easily stacked one upon another in an unusually stable and fool proof manner. The weight of one tray and its'contents upon another forms a strong anchor thereby avoiding the risk of collapse otherwise present. The trays are formed quickly as an incident to opening the cartons. The individual items are already uniformly arranged in the trays and it is merely necessary to stack the filled trays in any suitable interlocking arrangement. 7

According to the present invention the trays are quickly, neatly, and accurately formed from the shipping carton using the readily detachable guide accessory mounted over a suitable razor blade holder. The accessory telescopes over the handle for the razor blade holder and includes a pair of lips or flanges extending laterally from either side at a distance corresponding to the desired height of the display tray and positioned to engage or to lie flush with the top or bottom surface of the carton as will be 3195,21 Patented July 20, 1965 the side walls of the carton at a uniform distance from the top or the bottom to provide separate display trays from the upper and lower portions of the carton. The narrow band of the carton side wall between the two trays is discarded leaving the two layers of the carton contents uniformly arranged in the associated upper and lower display trays.

The guide accessory is preferably formed from a single piece of sheet material such as resilient sheet metal, sheet plastic or other equivalent material. A feature of the accessory is that it includes a tubular passage shaped complementally to the main body of the razor blade holder and having a snug frictional fit therewith. Accordingly, the device can be assembled over or removed from a razar blade holder as desired by the user'without need for tools or fastener devices of any kind. Likewise, the firm gripping action holding the accessory to the razor blade holder is adequate to retain the two components assembled without interference with the smooth retraction and extension of the sliding member in which the razor blade itself is mounted.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved razor blade holder having novel guide means for facilitating the use of the blade in opening paper shipping cartons and simultaneously forming display trays from either the upper or lower portion of the carton.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a. simple, rugged, inexpensive accessory arranged for speedy attachment to and detachment from a razor blade holder and by means of which the blade can be more conveniently and accurately supported while opening a paper carton and simultaneously forming a display tray for its contents therefrom.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the device of the present invention in use to open a shipping carton and forming two display trays therefrom;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line 22 on FIGURE 1; 1

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line 3.3 on FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line 44 on FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 on FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing the mode of retracting the blade within the sheath; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line 77 on FIGURE 6.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURE 1, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention designated generally 10, the razor blade holder proper 11 being assembled to the guide accessory 12 and desirably held as illustrated when opening a shipping carton 13. The construction and functional details of razor blade holder 11 correspond generally with those disclosed in my United States Patent 2,464,408 but it will be understood that blade holders of other designs may be used advantageously in practicing the principles of the present invention.

Holder 11 is formed from two strips 16 and 18 of sheet metal having slight resiliency. Inner strip 16 comprises a long narrow strip bent back upon itself at mid-length as is indicated by reverse bend 17. The two legs of this strip lie substantially adjacent each other throughout their lengths and are longer than the outer tubular sheath 18. This sheath is formed-by the second strip of metal which is formed into a flattened tube encircling the major portion of inner strip 16 or blade holder. The opposite lateral edges of sheath 18 closely abut one another as is indicatedat in FIGURES 1 and 2, and desirably frictionally and resiliently engage the adjacent edge of holder 16 is blanked outto provide a cut-ou-t i large enough to accommodate the reinforced back'edge 24 of the blade. This hackinghas a total thickness, corresponding generally to the thickness of the two legs of holder 16 as is evident from FIGURE 3. As best appears from FIGURE 4, the blade is inserted between the two legs. of holder strip 16 and held assembled therein by the frictional contact between the interior surfaces of strip 16 and the faces of the blade.

The length of blade holder 16 is substantially greater v than the length of its enclosing sheath 18, the difference in length being generally indicated in FIGURE 3. Thus, when the blade is in its extended operating position as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the lefthand ends of the legs of holder 16 project from sheath 18 by the amount shown in FIGURE 3. Desirably, these exposed ends 28, 28 are bowed awayfrom each other in such manner as to form a seating channel for frictionally receiving and.

firmly gripping back 24 of the razor blade leaving the blade proper projecting through the gap 29 and its cutting edge extending transversely crosswise of the sheath. The

razor blade gripping. and mounting portions 28, 28 will also be understood as providing a stop limiting the extension of the blade from the righthand end of sheath:18 in addition to means for supporting the blade at the lefthand end .of the holder when it is desired to use the blade as a scraper.

Detachable guide accessory 12 is preferably formed from a single blank of sheet metal or stiff sheet plastic bent .into the configuration best shown in FIGURES 1 and 6. The midportion of the guide comprises a flattened tubular socket 30 sized to closely and frictionally. engage the exterior of tubular sheath 18. The triangular shank portions 32 of the guide accessory are held pressed together in any suitable manner 'as by rivets. or byspot welding 31 (FIGURE 2).,-there being as many spot welds as found necessary. Projecting laterally from the .base end of shank 32 area pair of L-shaped fins here shown as lying in a common plane. a longer leg 34 and a shorter. leg or flange 35 at their outer Each guide member includes 7 ends and projecting in opposite directions therefrom for reasons :which will be explained presently.

Guide accessory 12 is assembled over the forward or blade-mounting end of sheath 18 until the, inturned stop tabs 37, 37 (FIGURES 5 and 3) engage the forward end of sheath 18. These stops extend across but not beyond the thickness of sheath 18 thereby avoiding interfering with the extension and retraction of holder 16 and razor blade. 23 mounted therein.

As is best shownparticularly in FIGURES 2 and 5, the opposite sides 38, 38 of the tubular socket 39 are preferably bowed inwardly toward one another so as to press against the adjacent outer surfaces of sheath 18 with a firm frictional grip found quite adequate in holding guide accessory 12 firmly yet detachably assembled over razor blade holder 11. To provide still further assurance againstraccidental relative movement between ac- 45 will-'have a sidewall of uni-form height;

cessory 12 and holder 11, there are preferably provided at least one pair of nesting spring detents 4e, 49 on one or both sides of sheath 18 and of tubular socket 30. As shown in FIGURE 6, these nesting detents are formed along the longitudinal center portion of sheath 18 and socketfit); When the guide device or accessory'is in its proper assembled position adjacent the right-hand end of holder 11, detents 40, 49 are nested one within the other and cooperate in holding the associated components in assembled position until forcibly separated.

The use of the described razor blade holder and the assembled slitting guide assembly will be quite apparent from the foregoing detaileddescription-of the structure. The parts being in assembled position, the user first makes certain that corner 22 of the razor'blade is properly exended beyond the end of sheath 18. This is accomplished by 'holding'the assembly vertically and pressing the bowed ends 28, 28 of blade holder ldagainst some stationary surface while grasping sheath 18 thereby sliding the razor blade and its holderstrip 15 to its extended position shown in FIGURE 4. To cut a display tray 45 from the upper portion of a paper carton 13 filledwith canned or other packaged goods, the user rests upper guide flange 35 against the top surface as of the carton and depresses the cutting corner 22-of the razor "blade into the carton as he grasps the lefthand end of sheath 18 and pulls the cutting device completely around the-carton to sever the same along the separation line 47. Longer legs 34- of the 'slitter remain pressed against the side walls of the i cartonduring this operation and cooperate with diagonal edge 29 of blade holder 16 in supporting cutting portion of the blade so that the latter penetrates the full thickness of the carton side wall but not Substantially further. Upper guide flange 35 remains in contact with top surface 46 and cooperates in holding the cutting blade uniformly spaced from this topsurface thereby assuring that tray Since the tray sidewall is of appreciably lower height than adjacent layer ofthe goods, the latter are adequately exposed yet securely supported by the tray.

As soon as the top tray has been severed from the carton the user removes the slitter and uses it to sever an dentical tray 48 from the bottom portion of the carton. Th1s is done if desired without inverting the carton and simply by resting the lower one of guidefianges 35 against the surface on which the carton is' supported. Meanwhlle the edge of upper flange 35 rides along the side wall surface of the carton shoe-fashion, the-supporting leg 34 being sufiicientlyresilient to flex outwardly away from the side wall of the carton Accordingly, when used to cut a tray'from the bottom portion of the carton, guide flange 35 need not'be pressed against the bottom surface of the carton but merely placed flush against a table, counter orother supporting surface flush lower display 'tray'48 and, the other half supported in upper display tray 45 as soon as the latter and the upper layer of contents are'sirnul-taneously inverted. The slitting operation having been completed, the user can retract holder 16 and blade 23 by placing the tool in the position shown in FIGUREG, grasping the sheath 18 between the thumb and finger of his hand and pressing the sheath downwardly until the blade is concealed within the sheath.

When one corner of the blade becomes dull or unsuitable for further use, holder 16 is Withdrawn from the lefthand end of the sheath and theblade reversed end-forend, reassembled within the holder and thereafter reinserted into sheath 18. Likewise, should it be desired to use the tool for scraping blade 23 is removed from holder 16 and its back 24 is telescoped between the bowed grip.- ping ends 28, 28 thereby supporting the full length of the cutting edge crosswise of the outer end of holder 16. It will also be desirable to first remove guide accessory 12 by withdrawing the same from the right hand end of sheath 18.

While the particular razor blade holder and accessory therefor shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages herein? before stated, it is to beunderstood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A slitting tool for use in opening cartons of canned goods and the like such manner as to utilize a portion of the carton to provide a display tray for the cans contained therein, said slitting tool comprising an elongated combination handle and sheath, means longer than and slidable lengthwise beyond either end of said sheath and supporting a sharp-edged cutting blade in one end thereof, said blade supporting means being movable between and frictionally retained in a nonoperating retracted position wherein said blade is sheathed by said handle and in an operating position with a corner of said cutting blade exposed without need for adjustable clamping means, guide means including means for holding the same detachably assembled to said handle inwardly of the end thereof located adjacent said cutting blade and including a pair of L-shaped members projecting laterally beyond the opposite sides of said handle with their longer legs lying in a common plane intersecting the forward corner of said blade when in an extended position, the shorter legs of said L-shaped members lying parallel to one another and projecting in opposite directions from the outer remote ends of said longer legs, one of said shorter legs being adapted to rest against the top rim edge of a carton as the slitting tool is used to slit a tray from the upper portion of the carton and the other shorter leg being adapted to rest against a supporting surface for the carton as the slitting tool is used to slit a tray from the lower portion of the carton all without need for lifting or inverting the carton and without changing the operators grasp of the tool handle.

2. An accessory device for attachment to a slitting tool and cooperating therewith to facilitate severing a display tray for canned goods from a paper shipping carton therefor, said accessory device comprising a pair of integral L- shaped guide members projecting in opposite directions from tubular mounting means interconnecting said L- shaped members and adapted to telescope over and support said accessory device on a cutting tool handle, said L-shaped members having the adjacent legs of each pro jecting laterally beyond the opposite side faces of a cutting tool handle when said device is mounted thereon, the shorter legs of said L-shaped members projecting. in opposite directions from the remote outer ends of said longer legs and lying parallel to one another and to the faces of the cutting tool, said longer legs "having a length corresponding to the height of a tray to be severed from a carton for canned goods, one of said shorter legs being adapted to engage the top surface of a carton and to support the cutting tool a uniform distance therebelow While a tray is being severed from the top portion of a carton, and the other shorter leg being adapted to engage a supporting surface for the bottom of a carton to support a cutting tool a uniform distance thereabove while a tray is being severed from the bottom portion of a carton.

3. A guide accessory for mounting on a razor blade holder and useful in expediting the serving of display trays from the top and bottom portions of paper shipping cartons for canned goods and the like, said guide accessory being formed in one piece from stiff sheet material and comprising tubular socket means centrally thereof shaped to telescope over one end of a razor blade holder and to engage the surfaces of the latter with a snug frictional fit,

a pair of L-shaped guide members having their longer legs in a substantially common plane inclined to the axis of said socket means and projecting from the opposite sides thereof, the shorter legs along the remote outer ends of said longer legs being parallel to the axis of said socket means, said shorter legs being adapted to lie flush respectively with the exterior top and bottom surfaces of a carton, thereby to support and guide a razor blade at a uniform distance from said surfaces while severing a tray from the top and bottom portions of a carton.

4. A guide accessory as defined in claim 3 characterized in that the same is formed from sheet metal, said tubular socket means being open at its opposite'ends and shaped to fit snugly and frictionally against the opposite sides of a flat elongated razor blade holder of the type having a razor blade slidably supported therewithin and extendable to a slitting position exposing one end corner only of the blade beyond the end of said holder.

5. A shipping-carton opening tool the principal components of Which are held firmly assembled by frictional engagement without need for fastener devices and featuring cutting guide means selectively usable While the tool remains grasped in the hand to cut a tray of predetermined uniform height successively from the top portion and from the bottom portion of a conventional paper shipping carton without inverting the carton thereby to provide low-height display trays for the carton contents, said tool including a long flattened tubular rigid sheath having a slit extending from end to end lengthwise of one flattened side thereof, blade-holding means comprising thin rigid strip means of greater length than said sheath and shaped at its forward end to embrace a rigid razor blade of the type having a reinforcing strip along its noncutting edge and so as to leave the forward end corner of the cutting edge exposed, said blade holding means having a thickness less than the internal thickness of said sheath adjacent the inner lateral edges thereof but greater than the internal thickness of said sheath opposite the slit therealong whereby the lip portions of said sheath adjacent said slit are effective to press said blade holding mean resiliently against the opposite interior surfaces of said sheath and to hold said blade holding means in any adjusted position including its extended cutting position with the forward corner of the blade exposed beyond the forward end of said sheath and a retracted nonoutting position wherein the blade is fully concealed within said sheath, unitary cutting guide means formed of rigid sheet material having a flattened tubular portion sized to telescope over the forward end of said sheath with a snug frictional fit, said tubular portion of said cutting guide beans being positioned between the opposite ends of said sheath and having a pair of flanges projecting substantially equidistantly in the same plane from the opposite flattened sides of said sheath, said flanges lying in a plane inclined to the longitudinal axis of said sheath and rearwardly of but intersecting the forward corner of said razor blade when the same is in its extended cutting position beyond the forward edges of said flanges, and the flange to the left of the operator when grasping said cutting tool having a low-height flange normal thereto and parallel to said sheath adapted to bear against the upper rim edge of a shipping carton when said tool is being used to cut a tray from the top portion thereof and being adapted to have its free edge bear against the sides of the carton when said tool is being used to cut a tray from the bottom portion means against a fixed object and shifting said sheath toward said fixed object, the opposite sides of said flattened tubular means for said cutting guide means being bowed inwardly toward one another lengthwise of their longitudinal midportions and adapted to have frictional engagement With the juxtaposed flattened sides of said sheath.

7 6. In combination, a flattened tubular sheath open at its ends, a razor blade and a holder therefor slidably supported in said sheath and movable in either direction through the opposite ends thereof from a retracted position wherein said blade is fully sheathed in said sheath to an extended operating position with one end corner of said blade exposed beyond said sheath, a guide device detachablytembracing one end of said sheath rearwardly of said'one end for supporting said sheath and holder in an r inclined position against the side wall of a carton while said blade is being used to sever the carton wa-llfas the tool is drawn therealong,said guide device including first and second flanges projecting laterally from the opposite sides of said sheath'and lying in a common plane intersecting the exposed corner of said blade when the latter is in its extended slitting position, the outer free edge of said first flange having a bent portion lying at right angles thereto and positioned to embrace and lie flush against the top rim corner of a carton to support the exposed blade at a predetermined distance downwardly from the carton top being drawn thereabout with said second flange resting flush against the carton sidewall and with its outer free edge portion resting against the surface of a support for the carton, and said first flange being or flexible material to permit the same to flex away from the carton sidewall While said tool is being used to sever .a tray from the bottom portion of the carton, and the bent portion of said first flange having a free edge inclined to said first flange and adapted to rest against the carton sidewall while a tray is being severed from the cart-on bottom.

References Cited by the Examiner V UNITED STATES PATENTS" 1,181,931 5/16 Simmons 30162 X 1,315,312 9/19 Klenck r 30-289 2,022,876 1 12/35 Anderson 30l62 2,204,267 6/40 Wyres t 302 2,464,408 3/49 Lightburn 30 -162 2,736,960 3/56 Armstrong 30162 2,978,807 4/6 1 Lurie 30-2 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

, .Attesting Officer UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 195, 231 July 20, 1965 Herbert M, Lightburn It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 5, line 15, after "like" insert in line 69, for "serving" read severing column 6, line 42, after "means" insert firmly line 51, for "beans" read means column 7, line 13, after "beyond" insert one end of line 14, strike out "one end of".

Signed and sealed this 28th day of December 1965 (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SW'IDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents 

1. A SLITTING TOOL FOR USE IN OPENING CARTONS OF CANNED GOODS AND THE LIKE SUCH MANNER AS TO UTILIZE A PORTION OF THE CARTON TO PROVIDE A DISPLAY TRAY FOR THE CANS CONTAINED THEREIN, SAID SLITTING TOOL COMPRISING AN ELONGATED COMBINATION HANDLE AND SHEATH, MEANS LONGER THAN AND SLIDABLY LENGTHWISE BEYOND EITHER END OF SAID SHEATH AND SUPPORTING A SHARP-EDGED CUTTING BLADE IN ONE END THEREOF, SAID BLADE SUPPORTING MEANS BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN AND FRICTIONALLY RETAINED IN A NONOPERATING RETRACTED POSITION WHEREIN SAID BLADE IS SHEATHED BY SAID HANDLE AND IN AN OPERATING POSITION WITH A CORNER OF SAID CUTTING BLADE EXPOSED WITHOUT NEED FOR ADJUSTABLE CLAMPING MEANS, GUIDE MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR HOLDING THE SAME DETACHABLY ASSEMBLED TO SAID HANDLE INWARDLY OF THE END THEREOF LOCATED ADJACENT SAID CUTTING BLADE AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF L-SHAPED MEMBERS PROJECTING LATERALLY BEYOND THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID HANDLE WITH THEIR LONGER LEGS LYING IN A COMMON PLANE INTERSECTING THE FORWARD CORNER OF SAID BLADE WHEN IN AN EXTENDED POSITION, THE SHORTER LEGS OF SAID L-SHAPED MEMBERS LYING PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER 